It took almost five months for Leon Rose to take over as team president before finally agreeing with Tom Thibodeau to act as the head coach of the Knicks.
But Thibodeau, who is expected to sign the contract earlier this week, with an official launch to follow, and Rose are now faced with a much more daunting task: putting together a roster that Thibodeau can shape into a competitor.
Though he has been successful at every stop in his career, Thibodeau knows that it is the players who make the difference, no matter how good the coach is. And the Knicks, who were between 21 and 45 when the season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in March, have no squad ready to win.
“For me, hiring Tom is a big step, but it’s the squad that ultimately needs to be improved,” said former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy. “It depends, you have to choose the right people, you have to play the right guys, the right guys have to play the right way. But I think it would be a mistake to think that a coach in and of itself, or a president, or a general manager can do it. It still depends on the roster. ”
As David Fizdale, who was fired this season with a 4:18 record, and Mike Miller, who played as an interim coach 17:27, testify that the Knicks still have a long way to go.
There is no star on the squad, no young man who is not ready to bloom. There are eight potential free agents, veterans, signed on as placeholders last summer when the franchise’s dreams of superstar transportation in the free agency were empty.
The best the Knicks currently have is RJ Barrett, who was number 3 overall last summer. Despite having an unpredictable rookie season, he has the toughness that Thibodeau will love and the intelligence to be the leader in every plan. Mitchell Robinson has drawn Raves for his athleticism, but the 7-1 center is raw and unpolished. There may not be a player who would benefit more from Thibodeau’s arrival – if he gets involved with what the coach demands.
After a disappointing second season, Kevin Knox remains a player whose potential outweighs his commercial value. Frank Ntilikina could benefit from Thibodeau’s focus on defense.
When Van Gundy was the head coach and Thibodeau an assistant in the last highly competitive era of the franchise, the coaching staff frankly admitted that one of the best things they had done for them was the best player on the squad, Patrick Ewing the toughest Worker. This led to accountability for the rest of the roster.
“It’s your only chance of real success,” said Van Gundy. “You won’t see everything right away. It’s good. But you have to see the big things the same way. You don’t have to agree on everything, but you have to value it [the important things]. We value work, practice and selflessness. We value internal improvements. You have to see these big things right away. That was lucky for me and that it was a Hall of Fame player who gave you a chance. “
Steve Popper reports on the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent almost three decades reporting on the Knicks and the NBA, along with almost every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
